Meir Wexler Showcases Banksy NFT

Aquiring NFTs

Last night was a historic night for me. I have been aware of NFT’s since 2017. I’ve passed on the crypto-punks and the board-ape yacht club (BAYC) all of which now have 6 figure floor prices paid out in Ethereum. It wasn’t because they were simply NFT’s. I’ve understood the groundbreaking significance of NFT’s and their applications since the ERC-721 and ERC-1155 standards were coded out. Ownership, record keeping, identity, royalties- all on an immutable decentralized blockchain ledger- all merely the tip of the iceberg. 

No it wasn’t that at all. Nor was it about the money. I wasn’t going to buy an NFT just to flip it for a buck (or a million bucks:) It was as simple as this- at the time there was no concept of a Crypto Punk community or a Bored-Ape Yacht Club community. It was just about buying an NFT simply because you liked the image on it. 

Last year that all changed with the re-emergence of the long lost Crypto-Punks and the introduction of the Bored-Ape Yacht Club. Both have created vibrant active communities including IRL (in real life) meet-ups/events and serious exclusive swag (the BAYC jacket is straight FIRE!). To me this was a game changer and I decided to start venturing more into NFT’s. 

Passion for Artwork

I have always had a passion for artwork. I am the type of person who can stare at a painting and get lost in it for a good 15 minutes. I have never been a part of an art community in person or online. Art to me was always an individual experience. 

While dabbling on the Avalanche blockchain a few months ago I stumbled upon a company called Particle Collection. Here’s Particle Collection in their own words “Collecting art has historically been a privilege of the select few. The elite collector community has traditionally shaped the course of the art market and art history. Now, blockchain has created an opportunity for a game-changing paradigm shift. This shift will allow for the decentralization of traditional practices of art collecting, ownership, and enjoyment.” 

I was enamored by this! I kept exploring and read more about their project. The first painting they bought at Sotheby’s was Banksy’s Love Is In The Air. They created 10,000 individual NFT digital parcels- each NFT representing fractional ownership of the physical Banksy masterpiece. I have always been an admirer of Bansky’s work- but to be able to own part of a Banksy?! That was just too good to pass up. 

I was afforded the opportunity to purchase a Banksy NFT parcel after joining the Particle Discord server, becoming an active member and ultimately being rewarded with a whitelist spot. The Discord server took my wanting a piece of the Banksy NFT to an entirely different level as I was able to have conversations with people who had shared values in art. It was something I had never experienced before in the art world. 

Purchasing

Last night I purchased my Banksy NFT Particle #5576 out of 10,000. The proof is on the blockchain that I own 1/10000th of the Bansky Love Is In The Air physical painting. There are other benefits to owning the NFT such as private viewings of the physical painting and other exclusive events. I am thrilled to own my first NFT and be a part of a passionate art community that shares my values. Although it is quite obvious that my NFT will only appreciate in value in the coming years, that was not honestly my rationale for purchasing it; as mentioned above I am an art lover and, together with the community Particle has created, was instantly attracted to this NFT concept of marrying the two together. My Banksy NFT will never be for sale and I am so excited about being able to teach my daughter about art appreciation (double entendre unintended!) and having her become the custodian of my Bansky NFT. Check ‘em out at https://www.particlecollection.com/.